This invention is directed generally to a carton blank and a carton formed therefrom and more particularly to a fluid impermeable carton from which the material contained therein may be readily removed.
In order to protect moisture sensitive materials in a carton, there have been many kinds of fluid impervious cartons developed to protect such moisture sensitive materials from deleterious elements such as the humidity in the air. The vast majority of these leakproof cartons have an outer layer formed from a relatively rigid material and an inner layer formed from a relatively flexible fluid impervious material to provide the moisture protection. When it is desired to remove an amount of the material in the carton, it is necessary to open both the outer and inner layers. It is desirable that an opening be formed in both the outer and inner layers at the same time. Also, it is desirable that such an opening be located so that it is not necessary to make an oversized carton so that none of the material in the carton is spilled during the opening thereof. Another desired advantage is that the structures associated with making the opening be of a nature that such structures may be returned to substantially the original position to further protect the material remaining in the carton. This invention provides such a carton.
This invention relates to a carton blank and a carton formed therefrom wherein the carton has a fluid impervious liner and a flip top lid and a pouring spout formed by securing an insert to the carton blank so that weakened portions in an outer layer of the carton and in the fluid impervious liner may be broken to form a pour spout for removing the material contained in the carton.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carton blank comprises an outer layer comprising a first generally rectangular sheet of a relatively rigid material having an outer surface and an inner surface and a plurality of cut and fold lines formed therein for dividing the outer layer into a plurality of panels. The panels include at least a first sidewall panel that is integral with a second sidewall panel and a third sidewall panel and is joined thereto by opposite fold lines. First, second and third top panels are integral with the first, second and third sidewall panels and joined thereto by fold lines. A first inner layer comprising a second generally rectangular sheet of a relatively rigid material, that is substantially smaller than the first generally rectangular sheet of a relatively rigid material, has an outer surface and an inner surface and is located opposite to only portions of the first, second and third sidewall panels. The second generally rectangular sheet has a first partial sidewall panel integral with a second partial sidewall panel and a third partial sidewall panel and joined thereto by opposite fold lines. The first sidewall panel and the first partial sidewall panel have substantially the same width between the opposite fold lines thereof. The first, second and third partial sidewall panels have upper edge portions and lower edge portions with at least a portion of the first partial sidewall panel adjacent to the lower edge thereof being secured to at least a portion of the first sidewall panel. The upper edge portions are located adjacent to but spaced from the fold lines between the first, second and third sidewall panels and the first, second and third top panels. A second inner layer comprising a generally rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material having an outer surface and an inner surface has at least portions of its outer surface secured to opposite portions of the inner surface of the outer layer and at least other portions of the outer surface of the second inner layer are secured to at least portions of the inner surface of the first inner layer. The second inner layer has a weakened portion located adjacent to but spaced from the upper edges and portions of the outer surface of the second inner layer surrounding the weakened portion are secured to opposite portions of the inner surface of the first inner layer. A continuous weakened portion is formed in portions of the first, second and third sidewall panels of the first generally rectangular sheet of a relatively rigid material so that an opening may be formed in the outer layer. As explained more fully below, the continuous weakened portion and the weakened portion may be broken to form an opening for the carton and a flip top lid for opening or closing the opening.
The continuous weakened portion has a first portion located in the first sidewall panel adjacent to but spaced above the at least a portion of the first sidewall panel and has end portions located in the opposite fold lines to form a frustum of a V, a second portion located in the second sidewall panel and extending at an acute angle between one of the end portions of the first portion and the fold line between the second sidewall panel and the second top panel and a third portion located in the third sidewall panel and extending at an acute angle between the other of the end portions of the first portion and the fold line between the third sidewall panel and the third top panel which when broken form the flip top lid.
The second top panel has opposite spaced apart fold lines extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fold line between the second top panel and the second sidewall panel with an arcuately shaped score line in the second top panel extending between the opposite spaced apart fold lines and the third top panel has opposite spaced apart fold lines extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fold line between said third top panel and said third sidewall panel with an arcuately shaped score line in the third top panel extending between the opposite spaced apart fold lines. The opposite spaced apart fold lines in the second and third top panels are located so that they are in a superposed position when the third top panel is superposed over the second top panel and the arcuately shaped score lines in the second and third top panels extend in opposite directions when the third top panel is superposed over the second top panel.
The above carton blank also has a fourth sidewall panel integral with one of the second and third sidewall panels and joined thereto by a fold line, a glue tab panel is integral with the fourth sidewall panel and is joined thereto by a fold line and a fourth top panel is integral with the fourth sidewall panel and is joined thereto by a fold line. The carton blank also has a first, second, third and fourth bottom panels respectively integral with the first, second, third and fourth sidewall panels and joined thereto by fold lines. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a first strip of a relatively flexible material is superposed over at least the first second, third and fourth top panels and portions of the first, second, third and fourth sidewall panels adjacent to the fold lines between the top panels and the sidewall panels and is secured to portions of the outer surface of the second inner layer and a second strip of a relatively flexible material is superposed over at least the first, second, third and fourth bottom panels and portions of the first, second, third and fourth sidewall panels adjacent to the fold lines between the bottom panels and the sidewall panels and is secured to other portions of the outer surface of the second inner layer.
A dispensing carton having a flip top lid is formed from the above described carton blank and comprises the plurality of sidewall panels folded around the parallel fold lines and held in folded relationship by the glue tab panel to form a central body portion; the plurality of sidewall panels comprise at least one sidewall panel having integral second and third sidewall panels joined thereto by opposite fold lines; a first inner layer or inner insert having a first partial sidewall panel, a second partial sidewall panel and a third partial sidewall panel superposed over portions of the first, second and third sidewall panels; the insert having substantially parallel top and bottom edges. The first partial sidewall panel is secured to the first sidewall panel at a location adjacent to the lower edge thereof. A second inner layer comprising a continuous fluid impervious liner is provided for the carton and has a central body portion, a top portion and a bottom portion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a continuous strip of a relatively flexible material, such as a Kraft paper or other material having similar characteristics, is secured to each of the top portion and the bottom portion. The central body portion of the second inner layer is secured to the inner surface of the first, second, third and fourth sidewall panels and the inner surface of the first inner layer as explained more fully below. A plurality of bottom panels are integral wit the plurality of sidewall panels and are joined thereto by fold lines. A plurality of top panels are integral with the plurality of sidewall panels and are joined thereto by fold lines. The above described continuous weakened portion is formed in portions of the first, second and third sidewall panels and the weakened portion is formed in the continuous fluid impervious liner in a portion thereof parallel to but spaced below the upper edge with the portion of the fluid impervious continuous liner surrounding the second weakened portion being secured to the inner insert or first inner layer so that the continuous weakened portion and the weakened portion when broken provide an opening and a flip top lid for the carton.
After the bottom has been formed in the carton by first folding of the bottom portion of the second inner layer to form a fluid impervious bottom portion which is then covered by the folding of the bottom panels and a desired material has been deposited in the carton, the top portion of the continuous fluid impervious liner is formed into a closed and folded fluid impervious configuration, such as a fin joint or seal, having a central body portion and two opposite outwardly extending portions. The fin joint has a central section and two opposite end sections. The top panels comprise two relatively long top panels and two relatively short top panels. One of the relatively long top panels is then folded to be superposed over the central section of the fin joint. Each of the two opposite end sections and the associated short top panels are then folded over and superposed over opposite end portions of the folded one of the relatively long top panels. The other of the two relatively long top panels is then folded and superposed over and secured to the folded over two relatively short top panels and the portion of the one of the two relatively long top panels located between the folded over two relatively short top panels.
One of the two relatively long top panels has opposite spaced apart fold lines extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to a portion of the fold line between the top panels and the sidewall panels with an arcuately shaped score line in the one of said two relatively long top panels extending between the opposite spaced apart fold lines and the other of the two relatively long top panels has opposite spaced apart fold lines extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to a portion of the fold line between the top panels and the sidewall panels with an arcuately shaped score line in the other of the two relatively long top panels extending between the opposite spaced apart fold lines. The opposite spaced apart fold lines in the one and other top panels are located so that they are in a superposed position when the one top panel is superposed over the other top panel; and the arcuately shaped score lines in the one and other top panels extend in opposite directions when the other top panel is superposed over the one top panel so that when the first and second continuous weakened portions are broken open, at least the superposed portions of the two relatively long top panels and one of the folded over two relatively short panel can be pivoted around the fold lines in the two relatively long top panels and the portions of the two relatively long top panels defined by the score lines are in a superposed relationship to hold the flip top lid in an opened position.
A method for forming a secured together top portion for a container comprising at least an outer layer comprising a plurality of sidewall panels and a glue panel folded around fold lines and secured together; a plurality of bottom panels integral with said plurality of sidewall panels and joined thereto by fold lines; a plurality of top panels integral with said plurality of sidewall panels and joined thereto by fold lines and wherein the plurality of top panels comprise two relatively long top panels and two relatively short top panels; at least an inner layer comprising a flexible fluid impervious material having a central body portion, a bottom portion and a top portion wherein the central body portion is secured to at least portions of the plurality of sidewall panels and wherein the plurality of bottom panels and the bottom portion are folded and secured together to form an open ended carton ready to be filled with a desired material and wherein the fold lines between the plurality of top panels and the plurality of sidewall panels lie in a common plane and wherein, after the open ended carton has been filled with a desired material, the method comprises folding and continuously sealing together portions of the top portion in a fin joint so as to have a central body portion and two opposite outwardly extending portions lying substantially in the common plane with the central body portion and extending in a direction substantially parallel with the two relatively long top panels; the fin joint having a central section and two opposite end sections folding one of the two relatively long top panels to a location wherein it is superposed over the central section; folding each of the two relatively short top panels so that one of the two opposite end sections are located between of the two relatively short top panels and the spaced apart portions of the one of the two relatively long top panels; folding the other of the two relatively long top panels until it is superposed over the folded two relatively short top panels and the portion of the one of the two relatively long top panels located therebetween; and securing together facing portions of the other of the two relatively long top panels and the two relatively short top panels and the portion of the one of the two relatively long top panels.